A small tool for your next big stitch
Find the right fabric size for your pattern, or a pattern size for the fabric you already love.
New to fabric counts? Start with an example ↓Made for the
planning part.
Minimum fabric to cut
Proportional illustration · not an actual-size template
Save your settings in this browser only. No account needed.
Same project, a different count
A higher count makes the same pattern smaller.
Your border stays the same.
Three ways to begin
Follow the steps, then try the same
settings in the calculator.
Illustrative calculations, not customer projects. Loading an example replaces your on-screen settings, but does not overwrite a saved plan.
A chart is 140 × 98 stitches. You have chosen 14-count Aida and a 3 in border on each side.
The stitched area is smaller than the cut piece. Choose the border for your own finishing method.
A 100 × 80 stitch chart, on 28-count linen over 2, with a 5 cm border per side.
Shopping suggestion: 29 × 25 cm or larger. “Over 2” means two fabric threads, not two floss strands.
You have 10 × 12 in of 14-count Aida and want to leave 2 in on every side.
A 100 × 80 stitch chart fits after a 90° rotation. Check whether your fabric has a direction first.
All examples assume an even nominal count in both directions and full cross stitches. They do not add a shrinkage allowance.
A little guidance
A few small details make a big difference when you measure your fabric.
Stitches ÷ stitches per inch
+ border on both sides
= fabric size
Count is measured per inch, even if your results are in centimetres. For Aida, 14 count means 14 squares (and stitches) per inch. Linen and evenweave are counted in fabric threads: 28 count stitched over two threads gives 14 stitches per inch. Count is not the number of strands in your needle.
The example starts at 3 inches (7.62 cm) on each side. Your hoop, frame, hem and finishing method may need a different allowance. The calculator adds the border twice to each dimension. Choose your own allowance before cutting.
Cut dimensions are rounded up to two decimal places so the displayed number does not suggest too little fabric. The shopping suggestion rounds up again to the next half-inch or whole centimetre. Capacity rounds down to whole stitches that fit inside the border. It describes the chart's width and height, not its total number of stitched crosses.
No shrinkage percentage or automatic framing allowance is added. Results use your fabric's nominal count. Follow the manufacturer's fabric-care instructions, measure the actual usable fabric and check your finishing requirements before cutting. For directional fabric or an existing border, a rotated fit may not be appropriate.
Enter the rectangular width and height of your chart, including any unstitched spaces inside that rectangle. A chart that is 140 stitches wide and 98 stitches high is not the same as a design containing 140 stitches in total. The fabric calculator does not estimate floss quantities.
Switching inches and centimetres converts your length measurements; fabric count stays per inch. Loading an example changes the current inputs. Neither action replaces your saved plan unless you click Save plan. To delete a saved plan, use Clear saved. Read the privacy & storage notes for details.
Learn more from DMC's fabric guide ↗ and Yarn Tree's fabric-count guide ↗.